Authors

Reviewers

Frequently Asked Questions

General Editorial Questions

What is the difference between a video produced by JoVE and a video produced by author?

All articles published in JoVE are composed of both a manuscript and video. The manuscript will serve as the foundation for the content in the video. Every author is responsible for writing and addressing revisions in their manuscript according to internal and peer review comments. The video portion of the article can be produced by either JoVE’s professional team or the author. JoVE films, edits and produces most videos because of our experience as both a publishing and video production house. We have the services and workflow established to make publication a straightforward and easy experience. If you are within our videographer network, your article will be a Video Produced by JoVE option.

Authors outside of our videographer network who have the professional and technical skills of editing video and audio may submit their own videos. However, if an author chooses to create their own video, it must meet the same publication standards of a Video Produced by JoVE. These videos must adhere to the JoVE format and style, as well as meet the technical guidelines specified in our Guidelines for Video Produced by Author. Both the manuscript and video must be simultaneously submitted and will go through the editorial and external peer review process together. Please note that Video Produced by Author submissions receive no production assistance from the JoVE video production staff, thus we only recommend this option if the authors have access to technical video production facilities. Both the text and video components frequently require multiple revisions prior to publication, so authors must have continued access to video editing equipment. Further details of the author produced video submission policies can be found on our Video Produced by Author workflow page.

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What are my responsibilities as an author if JoVE will be creating the video? What’s involved in the process of a video produced by JoVE?

Your main responsibilities as a JoVE author are twofold. You are responsible for (1) writing and submitting a manuscript, followed by addressing any necessary revisions during the internal and/or peer review process and (2) preparing your laboratory for filming and demonstrating the protocol on the day of filming. Your interactions with JoVE as an author are given below.

Step 1: Submission and Review

Submit a written manuscript and associated documents (www.jove.com/publish/submit)

Address any immediate editorial concerns

Address peer review comments

JoVE editorial staff decides if manuscript is accepted for publication

Step 2: Filming

Set a date for filming

Correspond with JoVE scriptwriters as they generate a film script and shot list based on your manuscript

Approve or modify the script if necessary

Prepare schematic

JoVE finalizes script for videographer

Prepare experimental materials for filming before the videographer arrives

A JoVE videographer visits your lab and films the protocol outlined in the script

Step 3: Video Editing

Make modifications to script for recording the voiceover

Submit any additional pictures, figures, and/or videos

JoVE edits video and sends a proof of the video article web page for your feedback

Give JoVE feedback on article within one week of receiving proof

Finalize your manuscript online following video proofing

JoVE modifies the video according to your comments. If animal work is performed, JoVE then sends the video to veterinary review

Step 4: Publishing

Provide final approval before publication

Article is published in JoVE and uploaded to indexing sites

Cite and share your video article

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What are my responsibilities as an author if I (the author) will be creating the video? What’s involved in the process of a Video Produced by Author?

Your main responsibilities for a Video Produced by Author submission are twofold. You are responsible for (1) writing and submitting a manuscript, followed by addressing any necessary revisions during the internal and/or peer review process and (2) filming and producing a video based on your manuscript followed by editing the video during the internal and peer review process. Your video and manuscript are submitted simultaneously and your interactions with JoVE as an author are given below.

Step 1: Submission and Review

Submit a written manuscript, video file, and associated documents (www.jove.com/publish/)

Address any immediate editorial and video quality concerns

Address peer review comments

If animal work is performed, JoVE then sends the video to veterinary review

JoVE editorial and production staff decides if manuscript is accepted for publication

Step 2: Publishing

Provide final approval before publication

Article is published in JoVE and uploaded to indexing sites

Cite and share your video article

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How long does it take for an article to be published?

The typical length of time between a submission being received (in proper form) to publication in JoVE is about 5 to 8 months. However, several steps in the process that depend on factors beyond JoVE’s control influence this timeline, such as responsiveness from authors and peer reviewers as well as additional veterinary review.

How do I find my JoVE username and password?

To create a JoVE account, please follow the first link below. If you are an author, use the email address that was associated with your submission, allowing you to download your article (PDF and video). The second link allows you to reset your password.

What’s the difference between “standard” and “open” access in JoVE?

“Standard” access refers to any content published in JoVE that requires an institutional subscription to view. Some authors choose to pay an additional fee to provide access to the public, known as publishing in “open” access.

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How do I give reprints?

As a JoVE author, you are able to use your article for non-commercial purposes, which include the reprint. Since JoVE’s content is web-based, there are no traditional hard copies. However, as the author, you are able to download your publication (both the written and video component) and share with colleagues. You could then send these files to a colleague via a CD, flash drive or ftp/file-sharing site. Also, JoVE permits authors to embed their videos on their academic websites. To do this, please contact your editor or support@jove.com.

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Can I use an open access video for commercial purposes?

No. Under JoVE’s article and video license agreement, authors may only use their article (text and video) for noncommercial purposes. Should the author wish to use the article or video for commercial purposes (i.e. using it for marketing a product or any other for-profit venture), the authors must contact JoVE’s business development team, industry@jove.com.

JoVE does encourage its authors to use their virtual reprint for academic and educational purposes, as this fulfills our mission of increasing the dissemination of scientific techniques. Authors should feel free to embed the video on their lab website and use the video at educational and scientific meetings. To do this, please contact your editor or support@jove.com.

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Does JoVE submit articles to PubMed Central?

Yes. JoVE articles will appear in PubMed approximately two weeks after publication. All video articles are uploaded to PubMed Central (PMC) immediately after publication. Articles deposited in PubMed Central are viewable according to their access type for the first two years after publication. After two years, standard access articles accessed through PMC will be viewable to the public.

Regardless of the access option selected, JoVE will deposit your article in PMC on the authors’ behalf. We can provide a PMC ID upon request.

JoVE’s open access option includes an Article Processing Charge (APC) of $1800 in addition to the standard publication fee (JoVE’s publication fee depends on production type; please see our Publish page for more information). Many universities in the UK now have RCUK publication funds to cover both the standard publication fee and the APC, while the Wellcome Trust will often directly fund the APC but not the standard publication fee. Please check with your university’s funding office for more details on your specific funding plan.

If you have questions regarding RCUK and Wellcome Trust compliance, please check with your university’s funding office or email submissions@jove.com.

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Are JoVE articles cited in other scientific journals and what is JoVE’s Impact Factor?

Yes, JoVE articles are cited in many scientific journals, including leading publications such as Nature, Cell, PNAS, and PLoS. JoVE’s calculated unofficial 2 year Impact Factor is 1.19, determined using the regular impact factor methodology as described here. To obtain an official Impact Factor, a journal has to be selected by Thomson Reuters (ISI) for indexing in the Web of Science. We are currently under review by Thomson Reuters.

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Editorial Manager/Submission Questions

How do I submit a manuscript to JoVE?

If you have spoken with a JoVE editor, please check your email for an invitation to submit a manuscript and click the included link to our submission site. If you have not spoken with an editor, first, visit our Publish page, then after reviewing our Manuscript Instructions for Authors, visit our submission site.

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My submission disappeared before I could build the PDF and submit. What happened?

If you indicated a corresponding author that is not yourself, their approval is required before the submission process is completed. To move forward, either log into the submission site with their credentials (with their permission) or have the official “corresponding author” check their email, where they will find a link to view and approve the submission, officially submitting the manuscript to JoVE. The corresponding author for submissions will receive all correspondence prior to publication and does not necessarily need to be the one listed as the corresponding author on the publication. If you are having difficulty, please contact your editor to change the corresponding author on your submission.

JoVE assumes that the corresponding author represents all authors during the publication process, but the published corresponding author may differ from that used for correspondence with the editorial office during the submission and publication process. Please consider selecting a long-term corresponding author for publication.

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I have attached all of my files, and clicked ‘Next’ until I arrived at a screen covered in red text. What happened?

Please read the red text. More than likely, you have required information missing from one of the submission steps. Perhaps you didn’t fill in a postal code for a co-author or maybe you only suggested 2 reviewers. You won’t be able to submit until you have input all required information in all steps. The red text should indicate exactly which step is incomplete. If you still experience problems, let us know.

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My Table of Materials/Equipment submission item was split into separate pages in the generated PDF, what happened?

Please ensure that the Excel template (available here) has ‘Word Wrapping‘ enabled and is in Landscape view. This will allow your entire table to fit on one page and not bump columns to new pages.

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I tried attaching and uploading a file, but I was told my file is too large, what do I do?

If a file is larger than 50MB, you will not be able to upload this file through the JoVE submission site. Instead, you should continue with your submission and contact your editor or editorial-office@jove.com for instructions on uploading your large files to our FTP site. Typically, this will be true of authors choosing our video produced by author publication option. You should submit a low resolution copy of the video (less than 50MB) via the submission site and after your submission is received and assigned to an editor, please notify the editor that you need to upload large files. Instructions for uploading large files/high resolution video will be sent to you.

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Production Questions

What is the script? How is it different from my initial submission?

The script is the document that defines the spoken content of your video. It is based on your initial submission. JoVE scriptwriters take your submission and convert it into a voiceover for the video; it is essentially a transcript, which will be read by voice talent at JoVE. You will not need to memorize it for filming.

As the script is geared toward guiding the video production, it may not contain all of the content that you originally submitted in your manuscript. Preparation steps, reagent recipes, or routine methods, may be omitted from the script document because they are not novel and are tedious to film. Your original submission will make up the text portion of your video-article, which will be displayed on the same page as your video. A downloadable PDF will also be available with your video-article.

Many JoVE personnel involved in the production of your article will work from the script document. These include the videographer, editor, voice talent, scientific editors, and you. Our script format is geared to the tasks of each of these individuals, so it is important that you are mindful of the numbering scheme and structure of this document while you make your edits.

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What is the Schematic Overview and how is it generated?

The schematic overview is a brief 0.5-1 minute motion graphic animation at the beginning of your video. Your responsibilities for this section of the video-article are to provide us with a figure that graphically depicts the major steps or concept of your experiment. We will add animation to the graphics that you provide.

You don’t need to be an artist or illustrator to create graphics for this section. Sometimes, the best schematic illustrations of an experiment or the background concepts are simple. We only ask that you provide us with a format that we can easily animate and add effects to. Layered file formats, such as .ai, .eps, .psd, or layered .tiff, are the best for animating, because we can add motion to individual elements in these files. PowerPoint files are OK as well, so long as elements are easily ungrouped and are higher than 150 dpi in resolution.

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Much of our experiment takes place under the microscope. How is this filmed?

Our videographer will bring a camera and microscope adapter setup to film your microscope work. Our adapter kit is more or less universally adaptable to all microscopes, because it fits in the ocular or trinocular ports, which, according to industry standards, are usually 30 or 23 mm in internal diameter.

One complication with our scope and adapter system is that complicated dissections may need to be performed as you look through one eyepiece. If your scope does not have a trinocular port housing with the internal diameter mentioned above, or does not project a virtual image, in stereo, to both the eyepieces and third port, then you will be unable to use both sets of eyepieces. The best solution is to try to find access to a teaching scope or stereoscope with a discussion bridge, since these have two sets of eyepieces and make it very easy for us to capture your footage.

Many of our authors who don’t have access to a teaching scope are fine with performing microscope work using one eye. These individuals will generally practice their procedures this way in the days before the experiment.

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How long will the filming take?

The length of filming depends on the length of your protocol. Because of our length limitations on the protocol portion of the script, JoVE filming averages 6 to 7 hours. This includes videographer preparation and pack up time, filming of the protocol, and the introduction and conclusion sections.

A simple way to estimate the duration of the shoot is to look at the number of steps in your protocol and the length of each step. In general, we require one visual per 1.5 lines of 12 pt text, and each visual takes about 5 minutes to capture. If your protocol consists of 30 steps comprised of three lines of text, then it will take about 5 hours to shoot your video protocol.

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My protocol takes more than one day to complete. Do we need multiple days of filming?

No, as a general rule, we film a single protocol in one day. Long experiments requiring overnight incubation times will require tissue or biochemical samples to be prepared and processed before we arrive, so that we can film the entire experiment in a single session. For the day of filming, we ask that you have your protocol set up like a “cooking show”. In this way all parts of the “recipe” are ready to go at each point and you can quickly move from one scene to the next.

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Much of what I’d like to demonstrate occurs on the computer. Should we just film the computer screen?

No, footage of the computer screen can often look distorted on camera, even if we dial down the shutter speed. Our suggestion is for you to download and use screen capture software to demonstrate computer based procedures and analyses. Popular screen capture programs for PC include Screen Capture Professional, Camtasia, or Adobe Captivate. For Mac, iShowU and iShowU HD are preferred. An excellent piece of software for both operating systems is SnagIt.

Please provide any screen capture files to us using either .mov (h.264 codec, 2 MB/s bitrate) or .avi formats (cinepak codec, 2 MB/s bitrate) and name files according to the step at which screen actions appear in the script.

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My protocol requires multiple filming locations as one of the needed instruments is off-site. Can JoVE film in two different sites?

All requests for multiple filming locations require approval from our production staff prior to submission; please e-mail your editor or submissions@jove.com with related requests. Generally, if the second location is within 1 hr drive of the primary laboratory location, then JoVE can film at both locations. However, minor changes may be required of your protocol section, in order to facilitate filming. If the second filming location is greater than 1 hr driving distance from the primary location, then another day of filming will be required and will incur an additional filming fee.

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When will I get to see the final product? When will my video be published in JoVE?

On average, your article will be published roughly 3 months from your filming date. However, there are factors that influence this time line that depend on you. Some of your video will likely contain additional media (image, movie, graphic files) that you need to provide to us that were not included in your initial manuscript submission.

Delays in submitting this material will cause a delay in your article being released. You will also be required to provide us with comments on your video article after a rough cut is produced. Submitting comments late will delay publication. However, we will not publish the video until you approve your article.

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Peer Review Questions

What is JoVE’s policy regarding anonymity?

Reviewers remain anonymous throughout the entire publication process. We will not release reviewer names to authors or other reviewers. JoVE will not allow any attempt by authors to determine the identity of reviewers and we encourage reviewers to neither confirm nor deny any speculations regarding their identity.

Reviewers should not contact authors. Instead, please contact our Editorial Office with any questions or concerns. We utilize a single-blind review process; reviewers can access author identities to further inform their review and prevent any conflicts of interest. However, the editor will compile all peer review comments with any editorial comments and send these to the authors on the reviewers' behalf.

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What is JoVE’s policy regarding conflicts of interest?

We ask that peer reviewers declare any financial or personal conflict of interest before accepting an invitation to review. For more details regarding conflicts of interest, please see our Editorial Policies.

Referees and editors must exclude themselves from handling a submission if a conflict of interest affects their ability to make an impartial scientific judgment.

The final decision on potential conflicts of interest rests with JoVE. If there are any concerns regarding a specific conflict of interest, please contact peerreview@jove.com.

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Why are parts of the protocol highlighted in yellow?

The yellow highlighting indicates the essential parts of the protocol to be filmed. The un-highlighted protocol text provides additional details that are not explicitly shown in the video. The manuscript in its entirety will be published alongside the video.

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Where is the video? I thought I would be reviewing it?

JoVE publishes two types of works: JoVE Produced Videos and Videos Produced by Authors.

For JoVE Produced Videos: Peer reviewers are asked to review the manuscript text, and not the video. Filming occurs after peer review, based on the finalized manuscript. Please review the manuscript in its entirety, with an emphasis on methodological rigor to ensure accuracy of the final video article.

For Videos Produced by Authors: The authors produce a video prior to peer review, and the peer reviewers are asked to review the video alongside the manuscript. If asked to review a manuscript with an author submitted video, a link to the video will be provided in the initial invitation email along with the manuscript text.

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What do the revisions indicate? Which revision do I review?

Previous revisions are a result of the internal editorial review (for formatting, content, etc.) These revisions have yet to be scrutinized by peer-review. Although you have access to previous versions of a submitted manuscript, please review the latest revision (the topmost submission or the revision with the largest number). Please disregard the “Original Submission” and any previous revisions in your commentary to the authors.

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This manuscript protocol lacks novelty; it has been published before and/or is a well-known method to most people in the respective field. Should I reject it under JoVE standards for publication?

JoVE videos are a unique and effective tool to learn and share a particular technique. We are primarily concerned about publishing highly reproducible methodologies regardless of novelty. These methodologies can be previously published protocols or new techniques. Previously published protocols must be properly cited. Please note that results for experiments can be representative.

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I have more questions, how do I get more peer review help?

If there are any further questions that are not answered above please feel free to email peerreview@jove.com.

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About JoVE

The Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE) is a PubMed-indexed video journal. Our mission is to increase the productivity of scientific research.